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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of BeautyAct Luminous Complexion Foundation 02C Cold versus The Ordinary Serum Foundation 3.1R .

Last updated on December 13, 2023. Published on December 18, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe foundations. They have a total of 11 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain exfoliants and Vitamin E

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain silicones

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Foundation Swedish Brand Sweden
Foundation Canadian Brand Canada

Foundation

A liquid, cream, or powder to help create an even complexion or cover blemishes.

Foundation

A liquid, cream, or powder to help create an even complexion or cover blemishes.

Price

Shop

Buy Luminous Complexion Foundation

Shop

Buy Serum Foundation

Starts at $3.75

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin E
Exfoliators (2)

Benefits

Hydrating (3)
Anti-Aging
Scar Healing
Brightening

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin
Acne Trigger
Irritating
Rosacea

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin E
Exfoliators (2)

Benefits

Hydrating
Anti-Aging
Scar Healing
Brightening

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Acne Trigger
Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema
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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

BeautyAct Luminous Complexion Foundation 02C Cold contains this as ingredient number 1.

The Ordinary Serum Foundation 3.1R contains this as ingredient number 2.

2
What it does: Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Disliked

Cyclopentasiloxane is a silicone used to improve texture and trap moisture. An easier name for this is D5.

D5 is considered lightweight and volatile. Volatile means it evaporates quickly after application. Once evaporated, D5 leaves a thin barrier that helps keep skin hydrated.

D5 is an emollient. Emollients help soften the skin and prevent water loss. Silicones create a silky texture in products. D5 helps other ingredients become more spreadable.

Studies show D5 is safe to use in skincare products. We recommend speaking with a skincare professional if you have concerns.

Learn more about Cyclopentasiloxane

BeautyAct Luminous Complexion Foundation 02C Cold contains this as ingredient number 2.

The Ordinary Serum Foundation 3.1R contains this as ingredient number 1.

3
What it does: Emulsifying
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate isn't fungal acne safe.

BeautyAct Luminous Complexion Foundation 02C Cold contains this as ingredient number 8.

The Ordinary Serum Foundation 3.1R contains this as ingredient number 15.

4
What it does: Masking
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt.

This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.

You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.

There is much debate on whether this ingredient is comedogenic. The short answer - comedogenic ratings don't tell the whole story. Learn more about comegodenic ratings here.

The concensus about this ingredient causing acne seems to be divided. Research is needed to understand if this ingredient does cause acne.

Scrubs may use salt as the primary exfoliating ingredient.

Learn more about Sodium Chloride

BeautyAct Luminous Complexion Foundation 02C Cold contains this as ingredient number 9.

The Ordinary Serum Foundation 3.1R contains this as ingredient number 18.

5
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.

It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.

BeautyAct Luminous Complexion Foundation 02C Cold contains this as ingredient number 11.

The Ordinary Serum Foundation 3.1R contains this as ingredient number 25.

6
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer is a silicone used to improve the texture of products and absorb oil. It does not get absorbed into the skin.

Like other silicones, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer helps condition the skin by creating a barrier. In this sense, it can act as an emollient and trap moisture in.

BeautyAct Luminous Complexion Foundation 02C Cold contains this as ingredient number 13.

The Ordinary Serum Foundation 3.1R contains this as ingredient number 20.

7
What it does: Stabilising
Community Rating: Disliked

Disteardimonium Hectorite comes from the clay mineral named hectorite. It is used to add thickness to a product.

It can also help stabilize a product by helping to disperse other ingredients.

Hectorite is a rare, white clay mineral.

Learn more about Disteardimonium Hectorite

BeautyAct Luminous Complexion Foundation 02C Cold contains this as ingredient number 14.

The Ordinary Serum Foundation 3.1R contains this as ingredient number 16.

8
What it does: Abrasive, Absorbent
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Alumina is another name for the compound aluminum oxide. It is used as a thickener, absorbent, and abrasive.

As an absorbent, alumina can give a mattifying effect. It is used in mineral sunscreens to help coat nano-sized filters, such as titanium dioxide. By increasing the size of the UV filters, these ingredients stay on the skin for a longer time. By coating small sized ingredients, alumina helps thicken a product.

Alumina may be used as an abrasive, or exfoliant.

Alumina is naturally occurring in the mineral corundum. Certain varieties of corundum create rubies and sapphires. Corundum is also the crystalline form of alumina.

Learn more about Alumina

BeautyAct Luminous Complexion Foundation 02C Cold contains this as ingredient number 16.

The Ordinary Serum Foundation 3.1R contains this as ingredient number 23.

9
What it does: Emollient, Humectant, Skin Protecting
Community Rating: Disliked

Aluminum Hydroxide is a form of aluminum. It can be naturally found in nature as the mineral gibbsite. In cosmetics, Aluminum Hydroxide is used as a colorant, pH adjuster, and absorbent.

As a colorant, Aluminum Hydroxide may add opacity, or reduce the transparency. Aluminum hydroxide is contains both basic and acidic properties.

According to manufacturers, this ingredient is an emollient and humectant. This means it helps hydrate the skin.

In medicine, this ingredient is used to help relieve heartburn and help heal ulcers.

Learn more about Aluminum Hydroxide

BeautyAct Luminous Complexion Foundation 02C Cold contains this as ingredient number 19.

The Ordinary Serum Foundation 3.1R contains this as ingredient number 30.

10
What it does: Antioxidant, Masking, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.

Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.

Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.

You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.

There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.

Learn more about Tocopherol

BeautyAct Luminous Complexion Foundation 02C Cold contains this as ingredient number 23.

The Ordinary Serum Foundation 3.1R contains this as ingredient number 12.

11
What it does: Cosmetic Colorant
Community Rating: Mixed

Ci 77499 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It is created from mixing red and black iron oxides. This helps give shades of darkness to a product.

Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.

BeautyAct Luminous Complexion Foundation 02C Cold contains this as ingredient number 27.

The Ordinary Serum Foundation 3.1R contains this as ingredient number 29.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

18% are loved or liked
18% have mixed ratings
57% are disliked or very disliked
7% have no rating yet
9% are loved or liked
3% have mixed ratings
82% are disliked or very disliked
6% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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